


The Larkspur Predicament

by azureheavens



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Banter, Body Swap, But I don't think they meant this, Developing Relationship, F/M, Fluff and Humor, Friendship/Love, Humor, Light-Hearted, They say it's okay to experiment when you're young, like Your Name but stupider
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-01
Updated: 2020-02-17
Packaged: 2021-02-28 02:14:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,266
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22516063
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/azureheavens/pseuds/azureheavens
Summary: An experiment gone awry. A missing ingredient on the opposite side of the continent. The best person by his side to get this whole mess sorted out.
Relationships: Hilda Valentine Goneril & Claude von Riegan, Hilda Valentine Goneril/Claude von Riegan
Comments: 9
Kudos: 86





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This wasn't supposed to have three chapters, but it will. Also I like to post Claude thoughts and WIPs on my twitter @kriselii! I hope you enjoy!

By the time Claude finally came to, the last wisps of purple smoke dissipated into the air. Flat on his back, daylight still peering in through the window, he didn’t know how long he was out for, but if he was lucky it would have only been a few minutes or an hour.

He heaved a sigh. So much for _that_ batch. It was supposed to be an antidote for a poison he just discovered, as it seemed too dangerous to not have one on standby. Larkspur, a rich purple flower hidden up on the Fodlan side of the Throat, was the key and rare component. He must have skewed the ratios, or completely misread the other ingredients. At least he would live to figure out what went wrong…

His head throbbed as he struggled to his feet, his body listing. Claude squeezed his eyes shut, gripping the legs of his fallen chair to lever himself. His arms stuck out like tree branches to divine some sense of balance. So far so good. He only wobbled a little, but that would clear quickly.

“Nice going, Claude,” he told himself, but his voice squeaked from his throat. His eyes flashed open, staring at the ground.

Where his body lay sprawled on the yellow carpet.

He nearly inhaled his tongue as he stumbled back, stopping to stare at his hands. They were pale, devoid of all color. Slender fingers tapering into well-maintained nails. Pink flashed in his peripheral. He twisted to the side and caught a long silky pigtail. He rolled the strands in his fingers, sending tingles to his scalp. He didn’t need a mirror to know. Right now, he just needed a miracle.

“Oh gods,” his new, nasally voice squeaked again. “I’m Hilda.”

Claude forgot Hilda was there with him. He had been up all night, working with the door closed. A knock came by morning. “Excuse me, Claaaude. The professor’s been looking for yooou.” He told her he was busy. “Busy with what? What are you doing in there?” Eventually he called her in, had her shut the door, and told her about his little project. She was hovering over his shoulder when he added a drop too much and sent a plume into both of their faces.

Now he was Hilda, which meant she was Claude? Did the concoction mutate their bodies into the other, or did it switch their souls? Moreover, how could this be used for a scheme? The resulting chaos from body swapping would be hard to control, but _fun_ to watch.

Claude’s voice groaned from the floor. “What happened…?”

Okay, time to focus. Claude, in Hilda’s body, rounded to face Hilda, prone on the floor in Claude’s body. She -he? - scrunched up her face like it was stuck in a pile of dung. She tried raising her head, but it fell back weakly. Of course it would be harder for her to get up: Claude received the brunt of the fumes when it first exploded, _and_ he just pulled an all-nighter.

Claude crouched to rouse her, suddenly too aware of how little covered his legs. He sat with his legs tucked under him, as he saw Hilda do, and shook her broad, manly shoulders. “Hilda, hey, wake up. Rise and shine, sleepyhead.”

“I’m up, I’m up…” Claude helped her sit as he checked her for any marks or bumps. Her eyes were scrunched shut, but she could keep herself upright. “Why do we sound so weird…?” She mumbled.

Claude shrugged. “Technically, we sound like we’ve always had. There’s just been a surprise… side effect.”

“Side eff-Ack!” Hilda opened her eyes, and her jaw dropped. She gaped at him in a dainty sense of dignity that looked very strange on his face. She pointed a finger. “How are you- Eek!” She stared at the hand, blinking wildly, before raising and gasping at the other. The cogs of thought twisted in her head at record speed. She glared at him, mouth still open in outrage. “You!”

Claude grinned apologetically, “Sorry, Hilda.”

Hilda groaned, voice low and raspy, and started to her feet. Claude tried to help, but she swatted his hands away as she lurched to the desk. “Yeesh! Manners!” He stood as well, curious as to why it felt strange just to _stand_ in a women’s body. He couldn’t even see his feet with how large his chest was. “That’s no way to treat a lady.”

Hilda didn’t respond as she found what she wanted: a mirror. She braced her hands against the desk and pouted at her reflection. She squished and prodded her new face, finding it wanting. “Ugh…. I’m _you_.”

“Hey now, most people aren’t so lucky,” Claude mused.

“Maybe, but…” She rolled the short braid between her fingers, letting it drop. “I’d much rather be me.” Hilda glanced over her shoulder with wary green eyes. “I hope you’re not be getting any weird ideas from this!”

“What ideas? I’m just trying not to fall over.” He frowned. “I’d like to think I’m not that kind of guy.” _Though I’m not a guy at all right now._

Hilda sighed, dropping her head in defeat. Then she straightened, tossed her head back with flair, and faced him, hands primly propped on her hips. “Very well, Claude. How are you going to fix this?”

“An excellent question. I have no idea.”

Hilda gaped at him again. “Claude!”

He raised his hands in defense. “What? I just woke up myself! I was supposed to be working on that antidote, not this charming out of body experience with you.” He moved to the desk, grimacing at the mess. Sopping wet papers, upturned vials, empty bags from used components. The thick old tome where he found the recipe had its pages stained violet from the melted larkspur. It was his turn to sigh. The book was expensive when he found it in the market, but it was too old and too rare to pass up. The lettering was smudged now, so he couldn’t read for more information.

“What’s wrong now?” Hilda asked hotly.

“Our only lead has been made useless.” Claude pressed a finger to his temple. “This mix was supposedly harmless, but I can’t tell what I ended up doing wrong. I’m sorry you got dragged into this, Hilda.”

She blinked, her frustration evaporated. “Then you mean-?”

“Yup.” He turned, honest apology on his face. “We’re stuck like this, possibly for a long time.”

The room suddenly felt too large and too quiet as the two stared at another, wishing there was more to say. Hilda’s face fell as she stumbled back and sat with a plop on his bed. She stared at the floor, looking a bit dazed.

“Whoa, stay with me, Hilda.” Claude took a cautious step. “You’re not dizzy, are you?”

“No, I feel fine.” Her eyes flicked to his for a moment before collapsing dramatically to the side. To see himself draped like some fainting maiden was an interesting view. Good to know that even when she wasn’t herself, Hilda was still Hilda. “In fact, I feel _weirdly_ fine. You’d think with all this I’d be sick to my stomach.”

“Hmm,” Claude said as he thought, twisting a pink lock around his finger. “Maybe there will be a delayed reaction when we least expect it. It could possibly wear off if we wait long enough, but I don’t know enough to say for sure. Plus… I’m out of ingredients to try again.”

Hilda pouted, propping her face on her hand. “So, what you mean to say is it’s hopeless. We’re stuck like this forever, and now I have to go and grow up to a duke of the Alliance or something.”

Claude shook his head, amused. Then he had an idea. It wouldn’t even risk anything, and it would keep poor Hilda from having to do anything terrible. It was the least he could do to make up for this mess.

Claude rolled his shoulders, straightening his back. He delicately clasped his hands in front of him, tilting his head slightly. “Now, _Claude_ , is that any way for the house leader of the Golden Deer to act?”

Hilda opened one eye. “What are you getting at?” she asked, her lilt still plain in her voice.

He smiled sweetly, bringing himself into character. “The professor asked _me_ to come find _you_ , right? I’ll just have to go tell him what happened, or at least as much as he needs to know.” He brought his hands to his chin and blinked up at the ceiling. “Poor old Claude was up all night working on some weird experiment again, and then he went and got himself sick from it.”

Hilda stared at him. Slowly, she lifted herself from her slouch and leaned her elbows on her legs, propping her head on her hands. “I think I follow,” she said, mimicking his usual matter of fact nature. “You’ll work your magic get Teach over here, then the two of us won’t have to deal with this mess alone. Nice scheming, Hilda.”

Claude bobbed his shoulders in a shrug. “I learned from the best, I suppose! Besides, I don’t know the first thing about all those books you dig your nose in.” Look at them both, two chameleons able to play as each other with barely a moment’s preparation. This day may not end up as a total loss after all. “I’m sure we can even convince him to go find some larkspur, saying it’ll help cure your dizziness.”

Hilda raised a brow. “Why not tell him the truth? I’m sure he’d want to help us after all.”

“…I guess I could, but not until I bring him back here. It’s better for _your_ reputation if this weirdness didn’t get out.”

She smirked. “Sounds like a plan. Now then, I’m supposed to be very, very dizzy. Sooooo,” She moved to plop herself on the bed but stopped when she saw the books covering the blankets. She shot him a look before pushing them aside. Hilda swung her feet onto the bed and sank back into the pillow, her arms propped behind her head. “Don’t keep Teach waiting, okay?” She gave a large yawn. “No lazing about.” 

His smile widened. “Me? Lazy? You should look in a mirror.”

Hilda winked. “I already did.”

Claude scoffed and spun on his heel, trying to hide his snicker. He opened the door, shaking his head. “Just try to stay out of trouble, please? I know how you can’t help yourself sometimes.”

“Thanks, Hilda!” She called in a pathetic whine for the whole hall to hear. “You’re the best, Hilda!”


	2. Chapter 2

Teach crossed his arms, holding his chin as he looked them both up and down. Hilda bobbed on her feet and glanced at the ceiling while Claude tried to smile away his shame. “Believe me, Teach,” he said, trying to sound like himself despite being pink and in a miniskirt. “This is not what I had in mind when I started.”

“I can imagine,” Byleth said, his face unreadable. He turned to the desk and looked it over, running his fingers over the purple soaked book. “Where did you find something like this Claude?”

“Well, the library up here rarely ever updates, thanks to Seteth. I’ve become acquainted with some of the more… shiftier merchants so I can find the truly helpful information.”

“Not all that helpful,” Hilda said blithely, “if it got us stuck as each other with no way to fix it.”

“Of course there will be a way to fix it. We just need to recreate the same exact accident.” Claude joined Byleth at the desk, pointing to the smudged book. “Look here. You can still sort of read the instructions, and I remember everything I used. Sure, I had to make a substitution here and there, but-“

The corner of Teach’s mouth quirked, the closest he came to a frown. “Substitution?”

Claude shrugged. “So you see where I may have gone wrong. But I still remember what I changed. We just need to find everything again, but not all of it is in the market…”

Byleth let out a long breath, shaking his head. “Something dangerous could have happened, but I’m glad you came to me.” He turned to them both with a firm nod. “What do you need me to do?”

Claude was surprised by how easily Teach believed him, but it seemed Byleth _always_ surprised him. He gave him the list of ingredients, warning the specific flowers he needed would be hard to find. Teach just nodded along, ever ready to help, but Claude wasn’t about to look a gift horse in the mouth. Unfortunately, it turned into a training excursion for the entire Golden Deer House, Claude and Hilda excluded. Now everyone else was dragged into his mishap, but more hands meant more help. Exactly what he regrettably needed.

The two wasted the rest of the day in Claude’s room. He played an uncharacteristically studious Hilda, pouring over every book and scrap of notes he ever kept. Hilda acquainted herself with the ceiling, counting every wood panel, bobbing her feet in boredom, chatting idly to pass the time. Both of their appetites seemed suppressed through lunch before their stomachs roared back to life for dinner. No word yet from Teach.

Dutiful nurse Claude ventured to the dining hall to bring back dinner. His head felt thick with puzzling everything out. He even almost broke character when two random male students offered to help carry everything. And again when others stopped him just to say hi or ask where he’d been all day. Their questions were meant for Hilda, so he was suitably vague and flippant so he could get back to his room faster.

When he was himself, he wasn’t stopped so often. People mostly let him walk by without a word, leaving him to his business or watching him with a wary eye.

He pushed the thought to the back of his mind.

Back at the room with their meals finished, Claude dove back into the books at his desk. Hilda leafed absentmindedly through one, still laying on the bed. “What are you working on now?” She asked after too long of a silence.

Claude closed his eyes and sighed to himself. “If you don’t like the answer I gave you ten minutes ago, I’ll just say…” He twisted in his chair, leaning a casual arm around the back. “World peace.” He smirked tiredly.

Hilda scrunched her nose. “World peace? That doesn’t sound like you.”

“What can I say? I have hidden depths.” Claude turned back, cradling his forehead. “What about you? Any discoveries on your end?”

“Hmm, no.” Hilda let the book close and dropped it on the bed. “Not like I’ve really been looking. I’ve just been so _bored_.” She rolled onto her back and looked at him upside down. “Hey, do you think you could go to my room and grab me one of _my_ books at least? I’m still too sick to stand, you see.”

 _How are you not tired?_ Claude thought, looking at her. Perhaps the effects of an all-nighter weren’t physiological, more psychological. His own work turned up nothing, but maybe moving his feet would restart his mind. “Any preferences, your laziness?”

She shrugged. “Surprise me. Ooh, maybe bring some blankets too? You could say I have a terrible case of the shivers! But really that means we can both stay the night here.”

“I was thinking I’d just go sleep in your room, actually. Stave off any unsavory rumors about us.” Claude flashed a smile as he stood. “I’ll be right-”

Dark spots flooded his vision. He teetered and grabbed the back of the chair to keep from collapsing. Despite himself, he groaned. His other hand grasped for something to hold, catching empty air,

“Oh my-! Claude!”

He reached out to the sound of his own voice as Hilda caught his arm. He tried not to fall on her when she pulled him away from the desk. “I’m fine, I’m fine…!”

“Most certainly not!” Hilda’s voice panicked as she wrapped an arm around him. “Come on, sit on the bed. Nice and easy…”

Claude mostly fell onto the bed, but Hilda kept him steady. Slowly she let him go, watching. He forced a smile and flourished his hands in triumph. She shook her head and sat next to him, sighing to herself. “…Do you always do these kinds of things?”

Claude’s mind struggled to catch up. “What, exactly?”

“All these experiments! Honestly, I thought you only said all these weird things to scare people or something.”

Claude shrugged, grunting noncommittally. “Or something.” He took a deep breath, willing the spots in his vision away. “Sorry about all that.”

She shrugged. “I just didn’t want you to break something. Or worse, break _me_.”

Claude raised his head, wearing a smile. “You know, I was wondering why you were so alert. Before this switch, I was up all night.”

“Wait, you haven’t slept at all?”

“Yup, but I get it now. Why you are unaffected.”

Hilda looked at him strangely. He nodded as he continued. “Working on all these secret poisons doesn’t leave you with many ethical test subjects. Often, I use myself.” He preemptively waved away her worry. “Just little doses! But it did build up an immunity in me, thus the lucidity you currently enjoy.”

“Claude…” Hilda continued to stare, mouth agape.

“I know what you’re going to say! Don’t do dangerous stuff.”

“What? I wasn’t going to say that. I mean, what you do with your body is not _my_ business. Just…” She trailed off, pursing her lips. After a long hesitation, Hilda placed her hand over Claude’s. She held his eyes for a long time, and a weird heat rose in his stomach. “Maybe tell someone before you try something like this? What if I never came and you were unconscious for who knows how long?”

Claude opened his mouth to answer but couldn’t. Instead, he closed his eyes, nodding with a sigh. He _was_ without a backup plan, a glaring error on his part. He didn’t expect any risks from that botched antidote, or maybe he was too focused to see the flaws.

Hilda still held his hand as she rubbed circles on his back. Claude breathed, focusing on the pressure. It reminded him of home, somewhat. His mother smoothing his hair as she tended a cut or a bruise. His father squeezing his shoulder, telling him to stand up and try again. He didn’t mean to attribute these memories to Hilda, but they came, nonetheless.

“Plus,” she said softly, “it would be a huge pain to have to find a new House Leader if you died. You have to think about other people, you know?”

A weak snicker bubbled out of him. Claude looked back at Hilda. “You know, you’re right. I do need to be more considerate.”

“Obviously I’m right,” she said, letting go and standing. “Now, I think I’ve laid around quite enough for one day. It’s your turn, mister.”

“Right, right…” Claude moved to stand, aiming for the door.

“And where do you think you’re going?” Hilda shot him a look, cementing him to his seat. She began collecting the books littering his bed, setting them aside. “Just sleep here. No sense in getting up just to lay down again.”

Claude stared at the empty pillow for a long moment. “But where would you sleep? If someone comes?”

“Goodness, just lay down, will you?” Hilda huffed, pulling back the blanket for him. “Do I need to teach _you_ of all people how to nap? Need me to lay down with you?”

They suddenly stared at each other. Mind addled, Claude struggled to picture something like that. Hilda just blinked at him, face flushed. “Y-you realize I’m joking, right?

Claude blinked back. “Oh, yeah, of course.” Mind too foggy to quip, he finally did as told. As soon as his head hit the pillow, it was like he never wanted to lift it again. But he forced his eyes open, not sure what he expected to see. Why was she doing this? Maybe seeing her body, whether she was in it or not, stumble all over the place triggered her self-preservation. Even that seemed wrong to Claude.

“I’ll stay here in case something worse happens to you. Swollen face, growing warts, I don’t know.” Hilda busied herself with this and that to avoid his gaze. “It’s not like I can really ask anyone else to do it…”

Claude smiled wearily. Another of her excuses. Except this one hid compassion instead of laziness. “Look at you, being all responsible.”

“Ugh, I know…” She rolled her green eyes, hands ruefully set on her hips. She looked at him finally, smiling not with her lips. “Close your eyes. I’m not going anywhere, okay?”

So that’s what that should look like. He closed his eyes, finally falling asleep.


	3. Chapter 3

“Rise and shine, sleepyhead.”

Claude’s raised his head with a start, the cobwebs of sleep clouding his mind. He blinked up at himself, who smiled fondly back. Hilda sat backward on the chair and leaned with arms folded over the back. Her eyes drooped a little, and the ceiling light cast the darkened room in a warm glow. When Claude turned his head, he saw a bouquet of vibrant purple larkspur by his pillow.

“Wow…” he mumbled, stretching. “I can’t remember the last time someone brought me flowers.”

“Don’t get your hopes up: they’re from the professor. Everyone came back while you were asleep,” Hilda explained. She leaned back and stared up at the ceiling. “When they asked why _you_ were lying down instead, I said something like: ‘Oh, that Hilda… She complained but never left my side for a single moment! Wore herself out taking care of me! She’s definitely not the lazy girl everyone says she is.’”

Claude smirked. “Did I really say all that…?”

“You did. You were very sweet about it.”

Pulling himself up, Claude rubbed his neck as he looked around. “Why didn’t you wake me when they came?”

“Because I look cute when I’m asleep,” she said, falling forward onto her folded arms. “But now I completely regret it... Remember what you said about having immunity? It’s gone now. I even can’t stand without feeling dizzy... That means it’s _your_ turn to work.”

Nodding, and just a little bit worried for her, Claude got to his feet. His mind felt fresh again, and it looked like all the other ingredients were now set on the desk. “If our class managed to get everything we need, I should be able to whip up that anti-antidote in no time.”

With a nod, Hilda’s head rolled to the side as she snuggled into the chair. Claude patted her back, letting his hand linger. “Hang in there, Hilda.”

“I’m not going anywhere,” she said. “Besides, your body needs the rest. Everyone had a thousand questions for you, so I told them you’d answer anything and everything in the morning.”

Claude froze for a moment, but relaxed. His classmates wouldn’t launch into a full interrogation after he’d been sick, except maybe Lorenz. He’d have to cross that bridge once he got to it. “Got it. Thanks for being by my side.”

“Of course,” Hilda mumbled, voice soft. “What are friends for…?”

* * *

Claude stretched his long arms over his head when he woke up the next day. His first yawn of the morning was deep and joyfully loud. Amazing what a full night’s rest could do to one’s mind and body, especially when it was finally his own. Shuffling to his feet, looking in the mirror, he found nothing out of place. Pink eyes didn’t glisten back at him, and no pigtails sprouted from his head.

Claude closed his eyes, filled his lungs, and exhaled loudly. “ _So_ glad that’s over,” he mumbled.

Later, he was dressed and out the door, cheerily greeting everyone on his way to breakfast. Most gave him strange looks, but he was used to those. Word should have gone around about his stint as an invalid, so maybe people were surprised he recovered so quickly. He was surprised too, in a way, but with the antidote completed and the effects reversed, what did it matter? More than ever, he was glad to be himself.

Claude’s stomach growled with a vengeance. Strange it was, to see the same sights of a crowded dining hall and to feel like it was fresh and new. The same groups were spread out around the tables, cutlery scraping off plates, their plans and hopes for the day shared around warm food.

“Hey! Claude! Over here!”

He turned in surprise. At the farthest end of the dining hall was a large group of familiar faces. Leonie was on her feet, flagging him down. Marianne, Ignatz, and Lysithea were all seated with their breakfast in front of them, while Lorenz had just arrived with his. Strangely, Hilda was nowhere to be seen.

Raphael leaned back in his seat, a full turkey leg in hand. “Well, hey! Look at you! You’re on your feet again!”

Claude grinned back, making his way over to them. “I live to scheme another day, my good Raphael!” He nodded to the turkey leg. “I see you’re well equipped to take on the day.”

Ignatz popped out of his seat from behind Raphael. “Oh, thank the Goddess. When we heard you were out of commission, we were all worried about you. But it looks like you’re doing much better.”

Lysithea, seated beside Leonie’s spot, stared Claude down with pursed lips. “I am glad you’ve recovered as well, but what were you thinking?”

“Rumors were going around…” Marianne shifted awkwardly, keeping eye contact with Claude. “That you had accidentally blown yourself up.”

“Uh, no. At least, not exactly,” Claude said with a shrug. He took a spot next to Raphael, leaning casually on his elbow. He took in a deep breath, smelling everyone’s food. “If I _had_ blown myself up, my eyebrows wouldn’t have grown back by now. It was nothing a nice tonic and a good snooze couldn’t fix.”

“Feeling awake enough, then?” Leonie asked with a grin as she leaned over the table. “You seemed pretty groggy when we dropped everything off for you. And why was Hilda laying down instead of you?”

“Ah, right…” Claude steeled himself to stave off a lecture about propriety from the purple bowl-cut looming above him. “See, Hilda really worked herself to the bone, you know? I guess she was convinced that meant _she_ needed some shut-eye, so she convinced me to let her lay down for a time.”

“Is that so…?” Lorenz drawled, still standing with a plate in hand. “Yet you were singing praises of her generosity the last time we spoke. Though that is hardly a reason to let her rest in your _bed_ of all places.”

“…Keep in mind, I was probably still delirious at the time.” Claude gestured to the empty spot beside him. “What, are you going to stand the whole time? Or is it nobler to loom over your peers while they eat?”

Lorenz sighed, taking a spot next to Claude. “If you’re feeling well enough to make tired insults, then it seems there was no need for us to worry in the end.”

“Ah, but now you imply you worried about me.” Claude winked. Lorenz rolled his eyes.

“Of course, we worried about you!” Raphael said with a grin. “And now that you’re up, it’s time for you to eat! Here, have some of this.” He dangled the turkey leg in front of Claude’s face.

Claude immediately recoiled. Good as it smelled, it was a little too heavy for breakfast food. Why was the dining hall even serving those…? “Uhh, I’ll pass. Thanks for offering, though.”

“Why not start with some fruit instead?” Ignatz said as he sat back down, pushing a small bowl or multicolored grapes toward Claude.

Lysithea nodded excitedly. “An excellent idea! The sweetness would be perfect to give that needed jump-start of energy!”

“Relying on the sugar won’t last you through the day, I’m afraid,” Lorenz said with authority. “Claude, why don’t you start with something more substantial instead?”

“Um, maybe toast would be good?” Marianne said, looking at her plate. “Eating that could be easier on your stomach…”

Claude blinked and stared as each of his classmates offered food from their plates. At last, he put his hands up in defense. “Slow down! Seriously, all this hospitality for little old me? I should have tried to blow myself up weeks ago…”

Leonie, about to sacrifice a plate of spiced sausage, frowned. “What’s wrong? Is it such a surprise we’d all be worried about you?

“In a way, yes... I just don’t want to be more in your debt more than I already am.” He shrugged off his discomfort, moving to stand. “But really, I can get my own food.”

“Uh-uh! Stay right where you are, Claude!”

An entire plate of steaming fried eggs with diced tomato, cabbage, and chickpeas was set in front of him. The growl of his stomach and the hearty scent kept him cemented to his seat. Across from him, Hilda set down her own plate and nestled herself in between Leonie and Marianne. “Good morning, sleepyhead!” Hilda’s smile was sweeter than ever, perhaps because the original owner wielded it. “I thought you’d be stuck in bed still, so Hilda’s here to save the day. At least I didn’t have to carry this all the way to your room”

Claude looked at her for a long moment. He couldn’t help but feel… impressed with this act of kindness, small as it was. “Now this is the biggest surprise of all. I thought you would have washed your hands of nurse duty after a full day’s shift.”

She shrugged her shoulders, head bobbing with certainty. “Well, it’s only fair! Considering you got food for us last time.”

He raised a brow. “Did I? Pretty sure it was _you_ venturing into the dining hall last night.”

Hilda blinked, face turning a bit pink. “Oh! Oh, right! Silly of me to forget something like that…” She ignored whatever odd looks the others gave her and started on her meal. Claude fought back a smile, shaking his head.

“Either way,” began Lysithea, “it was nice of you to get Claude his breakfast. It sounds like this whole thing started with him taking too much on his own as it is.”

Claude winced. “Sharped eyed as always… I have to admit, putting myself out of commission and having to ask for help was a little embarrassing. Maybe I spend too much time thinking about how I’ll lead you all on my own.” Claude couldn’t help but laugh. This attempt at a proper thank you was turning into a speech. So why stop it? He got to his feet, bringing his cup up with him. “You’ll all be glad to know that this was indeed a learning experience. Without the help of everyone here, I wouldn’t be… well, me! Better together, am I right?”

The others chorused in agreement. Claude waited for Hilda’s eyes to meet his. To that, he smiled, tilting his cup to her. She bowed her head graciously, holding her own cup in the air. While everyone did play a part, the real hero was her.

“Let’s hear it, then! To the Golden Deer!”

The others chorused their cheer, clinking their cups together.


End file.
